IIt's been awhile since our last newsletter! Here at the barn we are fully enjoying the beautiful fall weather and beginning to prepare for winter. I am getting all of my winter horse blankets out, cleaned, and checked to see if any need repairs. Check out the article below on why our horses would need blankets and what the horses here at the barn are required to have.

Don't miss the next issue...I will be covering how students and riders can comfortably dress for winter. There will be some great tips!

Happy Trails,
Jill Ennis
Ennis Horsemanship Center

 

Cold Weather Care...Blankets

Blanketing can often be a confusing topic for horse owners. Whether you blanket your horse depends on many factors including where you live, stall or pasture kept horse, age, and health.

 

Our area of the country is well known for drastic temperature swings, freezing rain, wind, and storms moving in faster/slower than predicted. These factors can lead to your horse becoming chilled and shivering. A healthy horse can withstand temperatures well below freezing as long as it is sunny and the air is still. The horse's winter fur absorbs heat from the sun and the horse's body and traps it next to the skin. During cold temperatures, pilo erector muscles make the hair stand up which increases the coat's insulating potential. Wind separates the hairs, thereby breaking the heat seal and results in a great loss of body warmth. Snow showers, sleet, and the freeze thaw typical of our area and north can be hard on horses. A wet hair coat conducts heat away from the horse many times faster than a dry hair coat. In addition, wet hair tends to become plastered close to the horse's body, nullifying the air insulation potential of a fuzzy, erect winter fur coat.

 

At EHC we require that all horses have at least a waterproof sheet. Depending on your horse's age and coat growth you might want to consider a mid or heavy weight blanket. All blankets must be waterproof and breathable. This will prevent rain and snow from entering the blanket but allows moisture to escape. Please expect that you will need to do regular repairs and/or replacements as the horses will tug and tear at the blanket when playing with each other. There are blankets made from "tougher" materials that will lessen the chance of this happening.

 

Since it is very time consuming to blanket/unblanket the horses as needed (we can easily spend up to an hour in the cold on this task alone per day) it is a service we charge for. We blanket the horses when the temperature drops below freezing or at a higher temperature if there will be precipitation or winds. Blankets are removed between 40-50 degrees, depending on wind and precipitation. We will keep track of your horse's comfort and automatically blanket/unblanket as needed for $15/month. We will be happy to help you measure your horse and choose a blanket that is right for your horse's needs.

Upcoming Events

• November 12, 2-5pm   Play Day
• November 18, 10:30 am   Farrier
• November 25-27  Holiday Camp
• December 21-23  Holiday Camp
• December 28-30  Holiday Camp